1/72nd Italeri Hercules C.3P long fuselage conversion,.....RAF Lyneham Transport Wing 1980`s**FINISHED**.

[Britman]

Tony, you say "no pressure" but the interest in this project of yours is I think a measure of the interest the the C130 commands. As I said before, enjoy your build and take your time. We will enjoy whatever you throw at us as and when.

 

Keith.

[perdu]

Going to enjoy this Tony

 

202 was my first Herc pax flight, off to scare BGS in Germany in 74 ish

 

She was stone and brown back then

 

Keep up the good work, betcha Debs is watching too

[Sabrejet]

Few of mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tonyot]

On 11/21/2019 at 9:49 PM, Tail-Dragon said:

I'm looking forward to this build - it will be a challenge.  If I may be allowed, a couple of suggestions ...

I would consider putting some kind of wing spar in to prevent flexing of the long wing from cracking the upper fuselage seam, I would also suggest bracing the fuselage halves vertically, the Italeri plastic being so thin, it will be easy to squash slightly the fuselage as you handle it and also crack those seams. 

I can highly recommend the Arma hobbies engines, they are great, just remember to trim 2.5MM off the inboard nacelles on the wing to straighten out all 4 engines (Italeri molded to inboards too far forward). Also you might consider getting resin wheel set as the kit wheels are not good or accurate.

They are BIG when finished, hope you have lots of space!

Thanks for the pointers,...... I`ve built a few Italeri Herk`s over the years so know what you mean about the wings, seams and the plastic,.....and I wasn`t aware of the need to trim the nacelles for the Arma engines,..... I do hope that I remember when I get to that stage!!! 

I know about the wheels, especially as the real things bulge due to their low pressure,....but to be honest you can hardly see the main units under their doors,.... so we`ll see about that?

 

Cheers

         Tony

[tonyot]

2 hours ago, Sabrejet said:

Few of mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for all of those,...... all excellent pics! I notice you went for the semi bikini pic!! I do like XV207 above with LXX Sqn special markings, never seen that before and it adds a bit of interest to the standard scheme too!

Cheers

          Tony 

[tonyot]

On 11/21/2019 at 8:40 PM, bzn20 said:

JATE Herc ,going mad here tony ! Could see it in all weathers one wing (either , the normalHerc trait ) down waiting for something to happen from the crewroom over the other side .

Yeah my Troop Office (244 Sig Sqn, att to TCW) was in the hangar between 1 PTS and the Air Terminal and we could just about see the JATE Herk sitting with its wings tilting over the hump!  Happy days at Brize,.... my favourite posting....... you RAF lads and lasses looked after us,..... I think I mut have put a stone on thanks to the fayre from the Cotswold Club LOL!! And having a newsagents next to the cookhouse queue was extremely civilised! 

Cheers mate,

                    Tony 

[perdu]

All these pics will be making Debs happy anyway

 

She rails at the way Cosford have parked  the props on 202

 

This will really be a fabulous thread to follow even if there is zero chance of me finding room for a built up Herc

[st george]

9 hours ago, Sabrejet said:

Few of mine.

 

 

 

 

Great photo's. I was with 298 on her last mission flying out of Brindisi.

[RidgeRunner]

9 hours ago, Sabrejet said:

Few of mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

I never realised there had been so much nose art on Brit machines of that era. I know about the Iraq etc and, of course, WW2, but this is very interesting to me

 

Martin 

Edited November 23, 2019 by RidgeRunner

[andyf117]

10 hours ago, Sabrejet said:

Few of mine.

Nice to finally have a couple of decent shots of 298's port side markings, after all these years - my photo of her was taken from the three-quarter rear whilst being loaded at Lyneham, so didn't show the markings very well at all...

[speedy]

What a great thread for memories and the model itself.  This is a watcher👍.  My memories are of my first job at Boscombe and getting a couple of jollies over Larkhill ranges followed by the Harvard, with Peter James in the back photographing away. I was in the Falklands in 96 and again got a flight. I was invited to sit in the right hand seat and I flew the aircraft (pilot did the rudder) following his instructions whilst banking over take vessel registrations. On the same sortie having an F3 Tornado at the back with the ramp down and I swear you could touch the pitot tube. The noise of the constant variation of the engines was very present. Loadie said it was a frequent occurrence but that was a close one (I’ll try and dig my photo’s out). Wind forward and various trips on GW2 and then flying to Romania for an exercise with Coltishall Jags. It took ages and we came back by Tristar. Lastly being ex-TCW going on those detachments where 47 & 7 Sqn were present, I left 2 weeks before that Herc got shot down and I lost friends.

 

Steve.

Edited November 24, 2019 by speedy

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Tony, definitely looking forward to the build and enjoyed most of the potted history...  but I really wish you hadn’t shown the damaged wing following the Sea King midair.  I’m not going to go into details here, but suffice it to say that I lost friends that day and, given what the BoI found, the Sea King crew were not in the wrong.  That incident caused a lot of hurt and anger in the FAA at the time, and I’d rather it was not raked up all over again.

 

Sorry!

 

[Edit: I’ll just put this picture up, and then let’s leave it at that; I don’t want to out a downer on what should be a characteristically interesting & high quality TO’T masterclass.  I was actually surprised at how much it upset me when I saw the original post earlier this morning]

 

 (Memorial in Stanley Cathedral)

 

Onwards and upwards, @tonyot

Edited November 23, 2019 by Ex-FAAWAFU

[bzn20]

8 hours ago, tonyot said:

hangar between 1 PTS

I was in that Hangar Feb 72 , VC10 and Belfast Role Equip . Role moved late  70s when PTS and JATE were Lodger Units  to make way for 244 Sigs and TCW to what you knew , PTS ,Half Paras ,half VC10 Role and Battery bay with a partition wall so before I left the RAF I was back at Role . Your PTS hangar  in 1972 was only ( MES) Engine overhaul and servicing of Proteus for Brits, Tynes for Belfs and Conways for the finest !

[bzn20]

4 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Sorry!

Sorry for your loss . No need for you to say sorry . Thanks for saying something . We should be reminded . They will not be forgotten .

RIP

[Rickoshea52]

It’s great to see the different paint schemes over the years. One spring morning in the early eighties the nine year old me was woken very early by my mum, put in the back of our Leyland Allegro and driven off from our quarter in Tidworth to a quiet lane overlooking Salisbury Plain. As first light arrived a distant drone got louder and louder until 19 Hercules roared over from the small wood behind us at low level and began dropping hundreds of paras in front of us.
After the noise of the engines died down we could hear the clinking of equipment and harnesses, a lot of swearing and the odd shout of “medic” but what an impressive sight. Only then did I realise my dad was among them. 
I only ever flew on a Hercules twice, from Ali-al-Salem to Akrotiri and back for R&R. I had to share the hold with stacks of kit and four RAFP, the loadie had them all at the back crammed on one troop seat next to the crapper while I sat opposite. The loadie wasn’t going to put an additional troop seat down for me to lie down for some sleep until I told him I was a rigger and replied, “Well in that case you can do what the **** you like”. I slept like a baby while the four RAFP had to sit all the way home to BZN via Akrotiri🤣. 
 

Im looking forward to see how this progresses Tony. 

[PLC1966]

Great lead into the thread Tony.  Brilliant montage of photo's of the Albert, and great to see your Para photos to back up the aircraft shots;

 

Just one very little thing, LTW was Lyneham Tactical Wing not Lyneham Transport Wing I believe.

[Plumbum]

Nice images. My older brother was a C-130E maintenance officer at Forbes in the early 70s.

Also the red berets  looked familiar, my son was Airborne, Blue Dragons XVIII Airborne out of

Ft Bragg. My brother used to get a bit "peeved" when they used his planes to jump from, seems

as though a lot of guys left their "breakfast" all over the inside of the plane. Sort of a "Vomit Express".---John

[petetasker]

Blimey what a superb thread this is turning into and the builds not even started yet. Flew out to Germany a few times in Hercs whilst in the TA but luckily never had to jump out of one - love the Herc! There was a collective groan whenever the lads found out transport would be a Herc - think I was the only one that was excited! Most would have preferred a VC10.

[tonyot]

On 11/23/2019 at 9:24 AM, speedy said:

What a great thread for memories and the model itself.  This is a watcher👍.  My memories are of my first job at Boscombe and getting a couple of jollies over Larkhill ranges followed by the Harvard, with Peter James in the back photographing away. I was in the Falklands in 96 and again got a flight. I was invited to sit in the right hand seat and I flew the aircraft (pilot did the rudder) following his instructions whilst banking over take vessel registrations. On the same sortie having an F3 Tornado at the back with the ramp down and I swear you could touch the pitot tube. The noise of the constant variation of the engines was very present. Loading said it was a frequent occurrence but that was a close one (I’ll try and dig my photo’s out). Wind forward and various trips on GW2 and then flying to Romania for an exercise with Coltishall Jags. It took ages and we came back by Tristar. Lastly being ex-TCW going on those detachments where 47 & 7 Sqn were present, I left 2 weeks before that Herc got shot down and I lost friends.

 

Steve.

Hiya Steve,..... when were you at TCW mate,..... were you there in the 244 Sig Sqn (AS) days when we shared your hangar? Your tea bar was great and the takings must have gone down when we were disbanded? If you have any ramp photos,.... especially of the Harvard,..... please post them,.... that was one day that I wish I had film in my camera,... and people don`t believe me when I say it flew o close that you could almost jump onto the wing!

Sorry to hear about your mates on the Herk that was shot down,..... wasn`t that XV179? So bloody sad and quite criminal too.

Cheers mate,

                    Tony  

[tonyot]

On 11/23/2019 at 10:40 AM, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Tony, definitely looking forward to the build and enjoyed most of the potted history...  but I really wish you hadn’t shown the damaged wing following the Sea King midair.  I’m not going to go into details here, but suffice it to say that I lost friends that day and, given what the BoI found, the Sea King crew were not in the wrong.  That incident caused a lot of hurt and anger in the FAA at the time, and I’d rather it was not raked up all over again.

 

Sorry!

 

[Edit: I’ll just put this picture up, and then let’s leave it at that; I don’t want to out a downer on what should be a characteristically interesting & high quality TO’T masterclass.  I was actually surprised at how much it upset me when I saw the original post earlier this morning]

 

 (Memorial in Stanley Cathedral)

 

Onwards and upwards, @tonyot

Oh Christ I`m so sorry,..... it wasn`t posted to upset anybody and thanks for levelling up the story,...... you are right,....it was a tragedy and the version of the story that I have heard concurs with yours 100%,......  RIP to the crew of XZ919.

 

Tony

Edited November 24, 2019 by tonyot

[tonyot]

22 hours ago, bzn20 said:

I was in that Hangar Feb 72 , VC10 and Belfast Role Equip . Role moved late  70s when PTS and JATE were Lodger Units  to make way for 244 Sigs and TCW to what you knew , PTS ,Half Paras ,half VC10 Role and Battery bay with a partition wall so before I left the RAF I was back at Role . Your PTS hangar  in 1972 was only ( MES) Engine overhaul and servicing of Proteus for Brits, Tynes for Belfs and Conways for the finest !

WOW,... thanks for the update,...... great to hear what was there before I knew the place. When you are working there you think that it will be like that forever,... and then everything changes anyway,..... look at Lyneham,.... I really didn`t see that going in a million years!!   

Cheers

         Tony

[tonyot]

14 hours ago, Rickoshea52 said:

It’s great to see the different paint schemes over the years. One spring morning in the early eighties the nine year old me was woken very early by my mum, put in the back of our Leyland Allegro and driven off from our quarter in Tidworth to a quiet lane overlooking Salisbury Plain. As first light arrived a distant drone got louder and louder until 19 Hercules roared over from the small wood behind us at low level and began dropping hundreds of paras in front of us.
After the noise of the engines died down we could hear the clinking of equipment and harnesses, a lot of swearing and the odd shout of “medic” but what an impressive sight. Only then did I realise my dad was among them. 
I only ever flew on a Hercules twice, from Ali-al-Salem to Akrotiri and back for R&R. I had to share the hold with stacks of kit and four RAFP, the loadie had them all at the back crammed on one troop seat next to the crapper while I sat opposite. The loadie wasn’t going to put an additional troop seat down for me to lie down for some sleep until I told him I was a rigger and replied, “Well in that case you can do what the **** you like”. I slept like a baby while the four RAFP had to sit all the way home to BZN via Akrotiri🤣. 
 

Im looking forward to see how this progresses Tony. 

So glad to hear that you witnessed a Battalion Group Jump,..... sounds like the additional heavy drop was missing,....... but impressive isn`t it? By the time you hit the ground you are knackered as you`ve been awake at least 24 hrs apart from cap naps but the adrenalin of the jump keeps you going. I must sympathise with you having to live in Tidworth,..... I was in Bulford for a while and that was bad enough,...... but I still pitied the people in Tidworth LOL!

Typical Snowdrops sitting down and doing what they were told,....... as soon as the take off is completed the Army unbuckle and doss down on top of the cargo,..... we used to take our doss bags too for that reason!! 

Cheers

          Tony

[tonyot]

13 hours ago, PLC1966 said:

Great lead into the thread Tony.  Brilliant montage of photo's of the Albert, and great to see your Para photos to back up the aircraft shots;

 

Just one very little thing, LTW was Lyneham Tactical Wing not Lyneham Transport Wing I believe.

Thanks mate,..... but no,.... it was the Lyneham Transport Wing,....... it wasn`t just a tactical role, the units flew route transport duties too,.... and deployed units abroad on exercise and operations,........ I`ve never heard it referred to as the Lyneham Tactical Wing. This link to AirBritain also refers to Lyneham ransport Wing;

https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/military-unit/RAF Lyneham Transport Wing

 

Cheers

         Tony 

[tonyot]

13 hours ago, Johnv said:

Nice images. My older brother was a C-130E maintenance officer at Forbes in the early 70s.

Also the red berets  looked familiar, my son was Airborne, Blue Dragons XVIII Airborne out of

Ft Bragg. My brother used to get a bit "peeved" when they used his planes to jump from, seems

as though a lot of guys left their "breakfast" all over the inside of the plane. Sort of a "Vomit Express".---John

Thanks John,...... yeah the US Airborne Forces (and most of the world for that matter!) copied our maroon berets after WW2,....the colour was chosen by author  Daphne du Maurier (who wrote `Jamaica Inn' and many others) as she was married to General `Boy' Browning, the leader of British Airborne Forces in WW2. H he had some of his lads model a number of different coloured berets and he chose maroon,..... thank goodness!!! 

I almost got to Bragg to work with the 82nd Airborne and get my US `blood' wings,....... but I was sent to Kenya on a job instead,.... hard life eh!! 

Yeah we tended to make a mess of the Herk`s during low level flying,...... I remember it sloshing from side to side when the aircraft banked while flying down the valleys and the smell was horrendous,...... 90 blokes shoehorned into the back and as soon as one bloke starts,...it is contagious for all but the strongest stomachs. It made the metal floor very slippy too,..... when trying to move as quickly towards the door as possible loaded down with over 120lb of kit! 

Would I do it all again if I was fit enough,...... too bloody right I would!

All the best mate and compliments to your Son,

Cheers

          Tony

  

[tonyot]

On 11/24/2019 at 10:50 AM, petetasker said:

Blimey what a superb thread this is turning into and the builds not even started yet. Flew out to Germany a few times in Hercs whilst in the TA but luckily never had to jump out of one - love the Herc! There was a collective groan whenever the lads found out transport would be a Herc - think I was the only one that was excited! Most would have preferred a VC10.

LOL,..... yeah the Herk had more character for sure,.... but the VC-10 was nice too,...... flying backwards! Deploying to Kenya I remember the groan from the lads who were told they were going by Herk,..... took them about 5 days to get there I think,.... as it broke down en route,..... may even have been the jinxed XV222!! We went by Tristar,.... and came back on a VC-10,.... stopping at Palermo, Sicliy en route. ..... luxury! Mind you, at least in a Herk you can roll your doss bag out on the floor or on the cargo and get your head down. ... so swings and roundabouts.  

Cheers

          Tony 

Edited September 26, 2020 by tonyot